“I don’t want to spend my life not having good food go
into my pie hole. That hole was meant for pies!” -Paula Deen

The Proof is in the Pie..

Big, chunky bits of tender beef in rich gravy, steaming hot from under a cover of flaky pastry.. Oh I’ve watched my fiance bite in to many a tempting pie, warm and fresh from the pie shop, leaving me to nibble on whatever rice cracker or boring old crisps I could safely eat from the service station next door. Only this time it’s different. As my Aussie better half exclaims “This is a bl**** good pie!” from underneath his pie crust moustache, he can actually pass it over to me for a taste!!

I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I have wondered why on earth there are no gluten-free pies around Australia for coelias to enjoy. And I’m not talking about the frozen kind, nor the plastic-wrapped, microwaved, soggy kind. You know; the pies we gratefully pick up from the freezer section only to have to wait till we get home, followed by a half hour defrost and a 20 minute oven bake before we can dig into playdough pastry and “spot the beef” gravy. Yes, there are decent frozen gluten-free pies available, and indeed we are grateful that someone thought to make them, but when you are hungry for a pie, do you really truly want to put up with a car ride, a defrost, an oven preheat and a bake? Nope, didn’t think so. It sure takes the fast out of fast-food.

This is exactly what the Hobbs family on the Sunshine Coast thought, as they embarked on a mission to create the first andonly certified gluten-free steak pie endorsed by Coeliac Australia!

Yummy from all angles 🙂 (Beefy’s gluten-free pie)

A coeliac pie making family

Many people will already be familiar with this happy looking pie with red shoes and a thumbs up. Beefy’s has become a staple in Brisbane and on the Sunshine Coast, and their stores can be found on six locations in southern Queensland. With a substantial selection of pies and pastries, they have won the hearts of Queenslanders, and can boast with a significant number of food awards! What most people don’t know however, is that they have a coeliac history, and a wonderful gluten-free ambition..

In 2001 the Hobbs’ third child, Michael, was born with severe stomach problems. Pale and underweight, he was finally diagnosed with coeliac disease at age three, a condition which was quite unfamiliar to his parents and meant a drastic change of lifestyle for the whole family.

Anyone with a coeliac child knows the tremendous dietary challenges a family is faced with on a daily basis, and anyone with a family business will be familiar with the impact work has on everyday life. Put those two elements together, and you have Michael’s family; trying to raise a coeliac child whilst running a business consisting of a never-ending supply of delicious pies!

“We know from personal experience the disconnection that Gluten Free sufferers feel. Having two older children who did not have Coeliac Disease made food options quite tricky. We wanted Michael to feel ‘normal’ in his own home, so we made it a rule that we would all support him by going gluten free each dinner time, which meant NO BEEFY’S PIE Nights! […] Michael could never enjoy the foods that we loved and that challenged us considerably.” (Read the rest of their gluten-free story here)

Having a coeliac child has taught these pie entrepreneurs first-hand what it means to live with a serious gluten-related disorder.They have felt each blow and lived through every steep learning curve alongside their son Michael. During the last decade they have wanted nothing more than for their son, and everyone else in a similar situation, to be able to enjoy a “Family Pie Night” as they put it, and they set out to create their own signature gluten-free option.

..and it’s true!

“During the latter part of 2013, with so many new Gluten Free flours available, it was the right time to perfect our own Gluten Free pie. As parents, we wanted nothing more than for our son to enjoy his very own Beefy’s pie for the first time.

After much experimenting and tweaking, we are excited to announce that we have adapted our award winning recipe into a delicious Gluten Free meat pie, endorsed by Coeliac Australia […].

We created BEEFY’S Gluten Free Meat Pies, so that the whole family can all dine out or have takeaway at home together. Flavour is our number one priority as there are a lot of pretty ordinary Gluten Free options in the market place currently.”

And their mission has been a success! Just listen to this wonderful feedback:

“Having just purchased my first Beefys Gluten Free meat pie from the Buderim shop (pre ordered just so I did not miss out) I was anxious to try it.

After 14 years of being a Coeliac there are a number of items on my bucket list and a tasty meat pie was high on the list.

It really lived up to my high expectations and was just perfect. My husband (non coeliac) tried it and thoroughly agreed with my assessment, the best Gluten free pie we have tasted in 14 years.

Beefy’s deserves all the praise that I am sure will follow from fellow Coeliacs. I understand they have put many years of work into perfecting the pastry which held together without any crumbling and was perfect to eat with a knife and fork or just held in the hand and eaten.

Best wishes to Mark and all the staff

Shirley Mason”

Certified by Coeliac Society of Australia

Whenever I discover a new gluten-free treat on the market, my first reaction is always to make sure the item is 100% decidedly in compliance with the regulations instilled to protect us from harm. Then, I munch!

If you are a regular reader of The Gluten Free Lifesaver, you will already know that I am a very sensitive coeliac. In fact, when I do reviews I consider myself a bit of a litmus test as to the safety of the product; If I don’t get sick “no one” will 🙂

That being said, as sensitive as I may be, I am not silly enough to offer up my own health for the purposes of product testing at will, I leave that to science and procedures. Nothing trumps education and diligence as far as coeliac proofing is concerned. Which is why I am always very excited by companies who go to the lengths of having their products properly certified by a coeliac association. There is no greater seal of approval, and no greater evidence of understanding, knowledge and effort.

Beefy’s have put a lot of effort into their certification. Their gluten-free pies have been individually tested for gluten content, they are produced on separate equipment and/or shared equipment that is systematically cleaned and inspected, and they are individually packaged to ensure zero cross-contamination. All this effort has won Beefy’s the Coeliac Society of Australia’s seal of approval!

At the end of the day; who can possibly understand coeliac needs better than a family who lives it every day. There is no way this product doesn’t meet our standards!

Beefy’s Gluten-Free Pie

Finally I can eat a hot meal on-the-run

My biggest pain with coeliac disease has always been eating on-the-run. Those times when you are hungry for something hot and savoury, and there’s nothing but cookies around. We can’t always bring lunch, and we haven’t always got time to sit down at a restaurant or pay restaurant prices. This fantastic gluten-free hot pie is a brilliant and delicious addition to our choices, and a great and promising beginning of a trend that hopefully will see us enjoying even more on-the-go convenience in the future! Well done Beefy’s!

Gluten Free Pie Giveaway!

To celebrate their Gluten Free Pie launch, and in honour of Australian Coeliac Awareness Week, Beefy’s is generously giving away a whopping 8 x $20 vouchers; one for every day of Coeliac awareness Week, so that YOU TOO can try this delicious pie! I say go for it, jump on to this giveaway and get your voucher; try the pie for yourself!

Open to Australian Residents only – Giveaway commences on the 13.03.2014 at 08.00 Brisbane time, and ends on the 20.03.2014 at 23.59 Brisbane time. One prize per winner, 8 winners selected. Winners will be notified at close of giveaway.

GF Pie Voucher Giveaway!

This post was sponsored, however each and every word represents my genuine opinion. I do not accept sponsored posts from brands and products I wouldn’t otherwise recommend.

I have never had a decent gluten free pie for over 10 years now, so if I won the voucher I would have my BEEFY’s pie at lunch time, it is my part of the day when no one is around, and I can just ENJOY the flavours.

I love a hot steamimg pie in winter, I don’t have them anymore,as my husband can’t eat them (he drools over them though), I had no idea Beefys made these pies! I live at Caloundra, so we might have to head on out to Beefys!

I find it hard to believe that the picture in this post is a gluten free pie, the pastry looks so flaky? tell me, how can we get these in the UK? any chance of getting the recipe? I would love to buy your pies but obviously being in the UK ? If that pie is for real, I’d go a long way to get it as I have a wheat problem and pies and fresh bread are the two things I love most.
Maybe we can find a way of getting your pies to the UK? maybe email me.

Best gluten free pie I have ever tasted. I have been Coeliac for 43 years and a meat pie for Friday night dinner to enjoy with my 2 Coeliac children has always been a dream. Last night for the first time we had brilliant meat pies watching the footy….and my husband whom isn’t Coeliac reckons it was great too.

We are regular Beefys customers but only ever buy them when our daughter isn’t wi us. She is Coeliac and we don’t like to tease her with our divine smelling and tasting pies. Now, we can all eat divine Beefys pies together.

The last two months my husband, daughter and I have been gluten free. I also have three other children and my diabetic father to cater for. I often struggle ti find meals that suit everybody. This would be a great meal we all could enjoy with ease. I know my husband would definitly appreciate this one:)

I heard about this the other day on the radio and I was so excited I told my partner about it as soon as I got home from work! I’ve missed pastry, pies and a quick easy meal on the go so much – I agree with being jealous of watching my partner eat them 🙂

Often my husband and I drive up to Agnes and Gladstone and see the Beefy’s Pies sign but have to drive on by because of my auto immune issues. I cannot wait for our next trip where we can stop in and enjoy a pie together with piece of mind knowing it won’t have any consequences. 😀

I found Beefy’s pies by accident. I called into the service station near Wild Horse Mountain lookout and felt hungry. I don’t eat plastic food of the usual chains and then saw Beefys. I love the Green Thai Chicken. Brilliant taste. Well done!!

I love a good pie and since going gluten free it has been the one thing I’ve missed the most and I’ve found it hard to find any good gluten free quality pies. I’m so excited about trying one of Beefy’s pies. For me, a good meat pie is always washed down with a chocolate milk, reminds of my younger years!

I LOVE my pie with a nice crispy shell, and i always leave the top for last and eat it by itself. And on a cold winters night theres nothing more id like to eat than a piping hot pie all rugged up on the couch watching my fave tv shows. Can’t wait for winter now!!

The best time to eat a meat pie is when its cold and raining. Warms your whole body! Brings back memories of school canteen. I am recently gluten free so thought my pie days were over. Apparently not, Yay!

I can’t wait to try a Beefy’s gf pie, and I’m excited because I’m on the Sunny Coast, so I can now have one when I feel like a cheat night. I can’t remember the last time I had a pie, the idea is making me giddy! This is very exciting news! Would be great if you could “pick me” (please) 🙂

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Disclaimer

The content of this blog is intended to be of help to you, and is based on my personal experience and opinions. I am not affiliated with the products or businesses mentioned, and reviews and articles are independent, unless otherwise specified.

If you have health concerns you should contact your physician for professional advice.

Images on this blog are of my making and copyright of Kristine Ofstad unless otherwise specified.